If you eat any ready-to-eat meat or poultry, then It’s time to check your fridge.
As Food & Wine reports, on October 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out a recall notice for nearly 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products produced by BrucePac, a meat packing company with a facility out of Oklahoma, which may be contaminated with listeria.
According to the FDA announcement, the recall includes approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products produced from June 19, 2024, to October 8, 2024. The products were shipped to both establishments and distributors nationwide and then distributed to restaurants and institutions from there.
The products that are a part of the recall include the establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection. Consumers can check this complete list of item codes for the affected products.
According to the FDA, the issue was discovered following routine product testing by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which confirmed the product by BrucePac was positive for Listeria monocytogenes. An additional FSIS investigation also identified BrucePac ready-to-eat chicken as the source of the Listeria monocytogenes.
The FDA noted that there have been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to the consumption of the products. However, it added that the “consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenescan cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.” Additionally, it added the infection can cause symptoms ranging from fever, muscle aches, headache, and stiff neck to confusion, loss of balance, and gastrointestinal symptoms. It can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women as the infection can cause “miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.”
FSIS is concerned that some products may be available for use in restaurants, institutions, and other establishments. It added that any of the remaining products — in homes, restaurants, or other institutions — should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase immediately. Those with questions about the recall can contact Jeff Golangco, vice president of business development at BrucePac, at 503-874-3000.
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